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Rams embarrassed by Vikings 34-6
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_23c2ce3b-3328-5e04-ba63-fe19931ef47a.html
If you wanted to pick the worst possible way to open a season, it would be difficult to top the performance put on by the Rams on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
They committed silly penalties. Couldn't stop the run. Got outplayed on special teams. And couldn't really do anything on offense. Seven weeks of build-up led to one of the worst Rams season openers in years — an embarrassing 34-6 loss to Minnesota to open 2014.
Any time you start a season with your third-string quarterback in there to start the second half, you're in trouble. Such was the case Sunday. Quarterback Sam Bradford obviously is out for the season with a knee injury. His replacement, Shaun Hill, was done by halftime with a thigh injury. So that left Austin Davis in charge when the Rams started the third quarter down 13-0.
For the most part, the defense did its part in the first half, keeping Adrian Peterson in check and making quarterback Matt Cassel throw the ball downfield at his own risk.
But the Rams' offense was basically non-existent in the first half. Yes, Brian Quick established himself with several early catches, but he also took the Rams out of a scoring opportunity, being called for a facemask penalty for getting his hand in the grill of Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn after a 21-yard catch.
The 15-yard penalty midway through the second quarter backed the Rams up to the Minnesota 46. They appeared to get the first down back a couple of plays later on a 14-yard catch by Chris Givens. But Givens was called for offensive pass interference — overall, the Rams were flagged 13 times for 121 yards — so the play was called back from what would've been the Minnesota 27 to the Rams' 49.
The result was a punt.
Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was the Vikings' top runner in the first quarter, doing his damage on the "jet" sweep, plays where the wide receiver goes in motion and then takes the handoff as he passes the quarterback in motion.
A 13-yard gain on a jet sweep by Patterson, coupled with a dubious roughing the passer call against Robert Quinn by referee Ed Hochuli helped the Vikings take a 3-0 lead on a 52-yard field goal by Blair Walsh.
The Rams missed a chance to tie the game on their second possession when Jeff Zuerlein's 50-yard field goal sailed wide left with 1:09 to play in the first quarter.
Facing a fourth-and-1 from the Minnesota 31, Fisher opted for a field goal instead of going for it. Taking over at their 40 after the miss, the Vikings needed only one play to get in Walsh's range — a 23-yard jet sweep by Patterson, who was aided by two missed tackles by the Rams on the play.
The result was a 46-yard field goal by Walsh and a 6-0 Minnesota lead 44 seconds into the second quarter. The Rams' defense kept Minnesota in check for much of the second quarter, but after taking over at their 25 with 1:38 to go in the half, a scrambling Shaun Hill — running to his right — threw into double-coverage towards the right sideline.
Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson made an athletic, leaping interception, keeping his feet in-bounds as he came down.
Minnesota took over on the St. Louis 35 with 1:09 to play in the half. This time the Vikings didn't settle for a field goal. On second-and-1 from the St. Louis 8, veteran Greg Jennings got behind rookie E.J. Gaines for a touchdown on a throw from Matt Cassel and a 13-0 lead with 21 seconds left in the half.
Austin Davis took over in the third quarter at quarterback, replacing starter Hill, who left with a thigh injury. Davis led the Rams to a 56-yard field goal drive, cutting the lead to 13-3. But the Rams had to punt after their second possession of the half.
Patterson applied a dagger on the very next play after the Rams' punted. Lining up in the backfield, Patterson did his best Peterson impression by taking a handoff to the right, cutting back towards the middle and then zigging and zagging his way to the end zone for a 67-yard TD.
Rams defenders fell like bowling pins along the way. No less than five Rams had a chance to bring Patterson down on the play and whiffed on tackle attempts.
The Rams couldn't recover from that, as feeble as their offense was Sunday. Davis had trouble getting the ball out quickly, and the Vikings' front four could ignore the run and just head upfield in the direction of the quarterback.
A roughing the punter penalty by Chase Reynolds in the fourth quarter set up Minnesota for yet another touchdown, on a seven-yard pass from Cassel to tight end Kyle Rudolph, who beat free safety Rodney McLeod. That made it 27-3 Minnesota, with 6:27 to play.
But wait, it gets worse. The Rams were down near the red zone, threatening to finally reach the end zone, when safety Harrison Smith stepped in front of a Davis pass and returned an interception 81 yards for a TD. Davis led tight end Jared Cook on the play, but Cook settled in the middle, giving Smith the opportunity.
So with Smith's "pick 6" it was 34-3 Vikings and hard to tell which was louder — boos from the Rams' fans or shouts of "Let's go Vikings" by the Minnesota faithful on hand.
Here are the updates posted by Joe Lyons of the Post-Dispatch during the game:
The visiting Minnesota Vikings capitalized on Rams' mistakes and cruised to a 34-6 victory over the Rams Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
It was a triumphant start for new Minnesota head coach Mike Rimmer, 58, who was making his head coaching debut after spending the previous 20 seasons as an NFL assistant coach. Rimmer, who was born in Peoria, Ill, played football at Illinois State and got his coaching start under got his coaching start as a part-time defensive assistant under Warren Powers at the University of Missouri in 1979.
The Vikings continued to pull away, taking advantage of a roughing-the-kicker penalty in the fourth quarter. With 6:27 to play, Matt Cassel hooked up with tight end Kyle Rudolph on a 7-yard touchdown pass that pushed the visitors' advantage to 27-3.
The touchdown, which came four players after the penalty, was set up by a 22-yard strike from Cassel to another tight end, Rhett Ellison.
The Vikings' defense joined in the scoring fun with about 3 minutes to play when safety Harrison Smith picked off a pass and returned it 81 yards to make it 34-3 with 2:57 to play.
The Rams' final drive, which reached the Minnesota 16 on a 27-yard pass from Austin Davis to Chris Givens, stalled thanks to a holding call and a bad snap as Greg Zuerlein closed out the game's scoring with a 46-yard field goal with 1:36 to play
VIKINGS UP 20-3 WITH 15 MINUTES TO PLAY
The Vikings added to their lead late in the third quarter, thanks to second-year wideout Cordarrelle Patterson. On a first-down play from his own 33, he took an end-around to the right, cut back a couple of times and broke a handful of tackles en route to a 67-yard touchdown run that made it 20-3 with 1:54 to play in the third quarter.
Defensive end Chris Long suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter. His return is questionable.
With Austin Davis at quarterback _ Shaun Hill has a thigh injury and is questionable to return _ the Rams picked up their first points of the 2014 season when Greg Zuerlein booted a 56-yard field goal with 10:11 to play in the third quarter.
The drive, which featured a 26-yard pass from Davis to tight end Jared Cook.
Early second-half update: Austin Davis took over at quarterback for the Rams on their first series of the third quarter.
Rams reported that starter Shaun Hill has a thigh injury. His return is questionable.
Davis drove the Rams into Minnesota territory; when the drive stalled, Greg Zuerlein kicked a 56-yard field goal that cut the Vikings' lead to 13-3.
HALFTIME UPDATE
The Vikings took advantage of a late turnover to add to their lead and take a 13-0 advantage to halftime.
On a Shaun Hill pass into double-coverage intended for tight end Jared Cook, Minnesota's Josh Robinson made an acrobatic interception near the Rams' bench at the St. Louis 35.
Four plays later, Matt Cassel found Greg Jennings in the back of the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown that made it 13-0 21 seconds to play before halftime.
Some halftime stats of note: Hill has complete 8 of 13 passes for 81 yards with one interception. Benny Cunningham (3 carries, 13 yards) and Zac Stacy (4 yards, 13 yards) lead the way on the ground. Brian Quick has four catches for 70 yards.
Matt Cassel has completed 10 of 16 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Greg Jennings has 4 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Peterson has rushed 11 times for 39 yards.
The Vikings have 180 net yards (85 rushing, 95 passing) to the Rams' 109 (34 rushing, 75 passing).
VIKINGS UP 6-0 EARLY IN SECOND QUARTER
The Vikings grabbed the lead on the game's first drive, moving 56 yards on 11 plays and coming away with a 52-yard field goal from Blair Walsh with 9:37 to play in the opening quarter. The drive reached the Rams' 25-yard line _ thanks to a very questionable roughing-the-passer call _ but the Rams defense stepped up. Second-year safety T.J. McDonald came up with a pair of key stops, forcing the Vikings to setting for the field goal.
After the teams traded punts, the Rams put together a solid drive that stalled in Vikings' territory when a Shaun Hill-to-Brian Quick pass play came up a yard short. Greg Zuerlein followed with a 50-yard field goal try with just over a minute to play in the opening quarter. But the kick sailed wide to the left.
The Vikings added to their lead in the opening minute of the second half, getting a 46-yard field goal from Walsh. The key play on the drive was a 23-yard run by wideout Cordarrelle Patterson.
RAMS, VIKINGS KICK OFF 2014 SEASON
The Rams kick off the 2014 NFL season today at the Edward Jones Dome, hosting the Minnesota Vikings in a noon contest.
The Rams were 7-9 a year ago and finished 1-3 in the preseason. The Vikings finished 5-10-1 a year ago and cleaned out, bringing in highly respected and longtime defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to take over. Minnesota went 4-0 in the preseason.
In a series that dates back to 1961, the Vikings hold a 24-16-2 lead, with each team scoring 939 points. Since the Rams moved to St. Louis, the teams have split eight games, with the Rams taking the lone postseason win., a 49-37 decision her in the 1999 divisional round.
The Vikings, who have won three of the last four meetings, blew past the Rams 36-22 in the teams' last meeting, in December 2012. In that one, after being held to eight yards on his first eight carries, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson gutted (his word) the Rams for an 82-yard touchdown and went on to rush for 212 yards on 24 carries.
As expected, Mizzou's E.J. Gaines will get the start at cornerback. He was a sixth-round draft pick in May who has impressed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams with his cool demeanor and short memory.
• RAMS TALK: GDT vs. Vikings
Rams' inactives are quarterback Case Keenum, running back Tre Mason, safety Maurice Alexander (Eureka High), tight end Alex Bayer, defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks,, starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center Barrett Jones (back) for the Rams.
That means the team's No. 3 pick (Mason) and No. 4 pick (Alexander) are not dressed. And, of course, the No. 2 overall pick, offensive lineman Greg Robinson is dressed and not starting.
For the Vikings, the inactives are quarterback Christian Ponder, cornerback Shawn Prater, guard David Yankey, tight end MarQueis Gray, fullback Zach Line (ankle) and linebackers Brandon Watts (knee) and Michael Mauti (foot) for the Vikings.
The Rams are in all blue; the Vikings are in white jerseys and purple pants.
PREGAME ENTERTAINMENT
The Rams will honor Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams today. Williams, who was inducted in August, will also serve as an honorary captain and participate in the coin toss.
Blake Leeper, a U.S. Paralympic athlete who won silver and bronze medals at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, will be running the Rams' flag across the field to start the game. Leeper, know as the American Bladerunner, began competing internationally in 2009. He is a bilateral below-the-knee amputee who has been using prosthetics since the age of nine.
The National Anthem will be sung by former Rams cheerleader Tess Boyer. An Edwardsville High graduate, Boyer was a top-10 finalist on The Voice.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_23c2ce3b-3328-5e04-ba63-fe19931ef47a.html
If you wanted to pick the worst possible way to open a season, it would be difficult to top the performance put on by the Rams on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
They committed silly penalties. Couldn't stop the run. Got outplayed on special teams. And couldn't really do anything on offense. Seven weeks of build-up led to one of the worst Rams season openers in years — an embarrassing 34-6 loss to Minnesota to open 2014.
Any time you start a season with your third-string quarterback in there to start the second half, you're in trouble. Such was the case Sunday. Quarterback Sam Bradford obviously is out for the season with a knee injury. His replacement, Shaun Hill, was done by halftime with a thigh injury. So that left Austin Davis in charge when the Rams started the third quarter down 13-0.
For the most part, the defense did its part in the first half, keeping Adrian Peterson in check and making quarterback Matt Cassel throw the ball downfield at his own risk.
But the Rams' offense was basically non-existent in the first half. Yes, Brian Quick established himself with several early catches, but he also took the Rams out of a scoring opportunity, being called for a facemask penalty for getting his hand in the grill of Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn after a 21-yard catch.
The 15-yard penalty midway through the second quarter backed the Rams up to the Minnesota 46. They appeared to get the first down back a couple of plays later on a 14-yard catch by Chris Givens. But Givens was called for offensive pass interference — overall, the Rams were flagged 13 times for 121 yards — so the play was called back from what would've been the Minnesota 27 to the Rams' 49.
The result was a punt.
Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was the Vikings' top runner in the first quarter, doing his damage on the "jet" sweep, plays where the wide receiver goes in motion and then takes the handoff as he passes the quarterback in motion.
A 13-yard gain on a jet sweep by Patterson, coupled with a dubious roughing the passer call against Robert Quinn by referee Ed Hochuli helped the Vikings take a 3-0 lead on a 52-yard field goal by Blair Walsh.
The Rams missed a chance to tie the game on their second possession when Jeff Zuerlein's 50-yard field goal sailed wide left with 1:09 to play in the first quarter.
Facing a fourth-and-1 from the Minnesota 31, Fisher opted for a field goal instead of going for it. Taking over at their 40 after the miss, the Vikings needed only one play to get in Walsh's range — a 23-yard jet sweep by Patterson, who was aided by two missed tackles by the Rams on the play.
The result was a 46-yard field goal by Walsh and a 6-0 Minnesota lead 44 seconds into the second quarter. The Rams' defense kept Minnesota in check for much of the second quarter, but after taking over at their 25 with 1:38 to go in the half, a scrambling Shaun Hill — running to his right — threw into double-coverage towards the right sideline.
Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson made an athletic, leaping interception, keeping his feet in-bounds as he came down.
Minnesota took over on the St. Louis 35 with 1:09 to play in the half. This time the Vikings didn't settle for a field goal. On second-and-1 from the St. Louis 8, veteran Greg Jennings got behind rookie E.J. Gaines for a touchdown on a throw from Matt Cassel and a 13-0 lead with 21 seconds left in the half.
Austin Davis took over in the third quarter at quarterback, replacing starter Hill, who left with a thigh injury. Davis led the Rams to a 56-yard field goal drive, cutting the lead to 13-3. But the Rams had to punt after their second possession of the half.
Patterson applied a dagger on the very next play after the Rams' punted. Lining up in the backfield, Patterson did his best Peterson impression by taking a handoff to the right, cutting back towards the middle and then zigging and zagging his way to the end zone for a 67-yard TD.
Rams defenders fell like bowling pins along the way. No less than five Rams had a chance to bring Patterson down on the play and whiffed on tackle attempts.
The Rams couldn't recover from that, as feeble as their offense was Sunday. Davis had trouble getting the ball out quickly, and the Vikings' front four could ignore the run and just head upfield in the direction of the quarterback.
A roughing the punter penalty by Chase Reynolds in the fourth quarter set up Minnesota for yet another touchdown, on a seven-yard pass from Cassel to tight end Kyle Rudolph, who beat free safety Rodney McLeod. That made it 27-3 Minnesota, with 6:27 to play.
But wait, it gets worse. The Rams were down near the red zone, threatening to finally reach the end zone, when safety Harrison Smith stepped in front of a Davis pass and returned an interception 81 yards for a TD. Davis led tight end Jared Cook on the play, but Cook settled in the middle, giving Smith the opportunity.
So with Smith's "pick 6" it was 34-3 Vikings and hard to tell which was louder — boos from the Rams' fans or shouts of "Let's go Vikings" by the Minnesota faithful on hand.
Here are the updates posted by Joe Lyons of the Post-Dispatch during the game:
The visiting Minnesota Vikings capitalized on Rams' mistakes and cruised to a 34-6 victory over the Rams Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
It was a triumphant start for new Minnesota head coach Mike Rimmer, 58, who was making his head coaching debut after spending the previous 20 seasons as an NFL assistant coach. Rimmer, who was born in Peoria, Ill, played football at Illinois State and got his coaching start under got his coaching start as a part-time defensive assistant under Warren Powers at the University of Missouri in 1979.
The Vikings continued to pull away, taking advantage of a roughing-the-kicker penalty in the fourth quarter. With 6:27 to play, Matt Cassel hooked up with tight end Kyle Rudolph on a 7-yard touchdown pass that pushed the visitors' advantage to 27-3.
The touchdown, which came four players after the penalty, was set up by a 22-yard strike from Cassel to another tight end, Rhett Ellison.
The Vikings' defense joined in the scoring fun with about 3 minutes to play when safety Harrison Smith picked off a pass and returned it 81 yards to make it 34-3 with 2:57 to play.
The Rams' final drive, which reached the Minnesota 16 on a 27-yard pass from Austin Davis to Chris Givens, stalled thanks to a holding call and a bad snap as Greg Zuerlein closed out the game's scoring with a 46-yard field goal with 1:36 to play
VIKINGS UP 20-3 WITH 15 MINUTES TO PLAY
The Vikings added to their lead late in the third quarter, thanks to second-year wideout Cordarrelle Patterson. On a first-down play from his own 33, he took an end-around to the right, cut back a couple of times and broke a handful of tackles en route to a 67-yard touchdown run that made it 20-3 with 1:54 to play in the third quarter.
Defensive end Chris Long suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter. His return is questionable.
With Austin Davis at quarterback _ Shaun Hill has a thigh injury and is questionable to return _ the Rams picked up their first points of the 2014 season when Greg Zuerlein booted a 56-yard field goal with 10:11 to play in the third quarter.
The drive, which featured a 26-yard pass from Davis to tight end Jared Cook.
Early second-half update: Austin Davis took over at quarterback for the Rams on their first series of the third quarter.
Rams reported that starter Shaun Hill has a thigh injury. His return is questionable.
Davis drove the Rams into Minnesota territory; when the drive stalled, Greg Zuerlein kicked a 56-yard field goal that cut the Vikings' lead to 13-3.
HALFTIME UPDATE
The Vikings took advantage of a late turnover to add to their lead and take a 13-0 advantage to halftime.
On a Shaun Hill pass into double-coverage intended for tight end Jared Cook, Minnesota's Josh Robinson made an acrobatic interception near the Rams' bench at the St. Louis 35.
Four plays later, Matt Cassel found Greg Jennings in the back of the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown that made it 13-0 21 seconds to play before halftime.
Some halftime stats of note: Hill has complete 8 of 13 passes for 81 yards with one interception. Benny Cunningham (3 carries, 13 yards) and Zac Stacy (4 yards, 13 yards) lead the way on the ground. Brian Quick has four catches for 70 yards.
Matt Cassel has completed 10 of 16 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Greg Jennings has 4 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Peterson has rushed 11 times for 39 yards.
The Vikings have 180 net yards (85 rushing, 95 passing) to the Rams' 109 (34 rushing, 75 passing).
VIKINGS UP 6-0 EARLY IN SECOND QUARTER
The Vikings grabbed the lead on the game's first drive, moving 56 yards on 11 plays and coming away with a 52-yard field goal from Blair Walsh with 9:37 to play in the opening quarter. The drive reached the Rams' 25-yard line _ thanks to a very questionable roughing-the-passer call _ but the Rams defense stepped up. Second-year safety T.J. McDonald came up with a pair of key stops, forcing the Vikings to setting for the field goal.
After the teams traded punts, the Rams put together a solid drive that stalled in Vikings' territory when a Shaun Hill-to-Brian Quick pass play came up a yard short. Greg Zuerlein followed with a 50-yard field goal try with just over a minute to play in the opening quarter. But the kick sailed wide to the left.
The Vikings added to their lead in the opening minute of the second half, getting a 46-yard field goal from Walsh. The key play on the drive was a 23-yard run by wideout Cordarrelle Patterson.
RAMS, VIKINGS KICK OFF 2014 SEASON
The Rams kick off the 2014 NFL season today at the Edward Jones Dome, hosting the Minnesota Vikings in a noon contest.
The Rams were 7-9 a year ago and finished 1-3 in the preseason. The Vikings finished 5-10-1 a year ago and cleaned out, bringing in highly respected and longtime defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to take over. Minnesota went 4-0 in the preseason.
In a series that dates back to 1961, the Vikings hold a 24-16-2 lead, with each team scoring 939 points. Since the Rams moved to St. Louis, the teams have split eight games, with the Rams taking the lone postseason win., a 49-37 decision her in the 1999 divisional round.
The Vikings, who have won three of the last four meetings, blew past the Rams 36-22 in the teams' last meeting, in December 2012. In that one, after being held to eight yards on his first eight carries, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson gutted (his word) the Rams for an 82-yard touchdown and went on to rush for 212 yards on 24 carries.
As expected, Mizzou's E.J. Gaines will get the start at cornerback. He was a sixth-round draft pick in May who has impressed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams with his cool demeanor and short memory.
• RAMS TALK: GDT vs. Vikings
Rams' inactives are quarterback Case Keenum, running back Tre Mason, safety Maurice Alexander (Eureka High), tight end Alex Bayer, defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks,, starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center Barrett Jones (back) for the Rams.
That means the team's No. 3 pick (Mason) and No. 4 pick (Alexander) are not dressed. And, of course, the No. 2 overall pick, offensive lineman Greg Robinson is dressed and not starting.
For the Vikings, the inactives are quarterback Christian Ponder, cornerback Shawn Prater, guard David Yankey, tight end MarQueis Gray, fullback Zach Line (ankle) and linebackers Brandon Watts (knee) and Michael Mauti (foot) for the Vikings.
The Rams are in all blue; the Vikings are in white jerseys and purple pants.
PREGAME ENTERTAINMENT
The Rams will honor Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams today. Williams, who was inducted in August, will also serve as an honorary captain and participate in the coin toss.
Blake Leeper, a U.S. Paralympic athlete who won silver and bronze medals at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, will be running the Rams' flag across the field to start the game. Leeper, know as the American Bladerunner, began competing internationally in 2009. He is a bilateral below-the-knee amputee who has been using prosthetics since the age of nine.
The National Anthem will be sung by former Rams cheerleader Tess Boyer. An Edwardsville High graduate, Boyer was a top-10 finalist on The Voice.
